Update 3/30/2019 - After several months, Facebook finally got around to allowing me to make regular posts again, informing me that there had been an "unauthorized entry" into my account.
What do you do if you have a pine tree with limbs that extend over your neighbor's yard, make a big mess, and you wanna get rid of the tree but avoid paying full price to do so? If your husband works for International Paper, simply refuse to allow your neighbor to access the tree from your property to have it trimmed, knowing that tree services large enough to have hydraulic lifts - which would enable your neighbor to have the tree trimmed without being on your property - are afraid to offend an upper echelon employee who works for International Paper. Your neighbor will get tired of cleaning up the mess, talk to your husband, and will be willing to share the expense (opening the door for the guy who removed the tree to "forget" to charge your husband his share) of having your tree removed. And never mind that such a scheme is one sleazy way to treat your neighbor.
That appears to be what's going on with my next door neighbor's antics regarding a pine tree in their front yard. I previously blogged about the situation - apparently some sort of unofficial bonus program for International Paper's employees - exposed the facts, posted a link to the post on Facebook on 8/29/2018, and I've been blocked from making regular posts on Facebook ever since.
Wonder how much Facebook is charging International Paper - either directly or via their reputation management company - to block me. And if such tactics are supposed to deter me from exposing a scam, or are designed to continue on until I remove the link to my blog post, I've got news for anyone who thinks so. The "tree scam" appears to be an unofficial bonus program for International Paper's employees - the corporation's silence speak volumes - and I'm determined to spread the word.
Facebook was a waste of time from the get-go, blocking my posts from real-time as I exposed the crookedness of Toyota. Then it was the selective distribution of all my posts, and I should have ditched Facebook long ago. Paul Craig Roberts has been exposing Facebook's censorship recently - Here's a link to one of his articles regarding corporations' and social medias' hatred of free speech. He sums things up majestically in his last sentence: "That corporations believe that they can attack the First Amendment with no adverse consequences to themselves show the extent to which the United States has eroded."
It's unfortunate that I wound up having the Nettles as next door neighbors, but they moved in after I bought my property, so there wasn't much I could do about it. I noticed Mike doesn't list where he works in the copy I have of the neighborhood directory. Most folks do, which makes me wonder if International Paper prefers to keep things quiet regarding where their employees live. If I ever buy another house, I'll try to make sure the people next door aren't employed by International Paper, especially if there's any trees with limbs that extend onto the property I'm considering.
Back in 2003, when I had the remaining pine trees removed from my property, one of them had branches that extended onto the neighbors' property who live on the other side of me. They had the tree trimmed at least once, and I never would have dreamed of refusing to let them do so, thinking I could force them into helping me out with the cost of having the tree removed. It had been damaged by an ice storm just as the Nettles' tree had been damaged by lightning, needed to be removed, and I did so without further ado.
Amerika is indeed dysfunctional, becoming more-so by the day, and people are beginning to notice. Every tree service that refused to trim branches on my side of the Nettles' tree should be charged with false advertising.
The behavior of people who attend church never fails to amaze and amuse me. If the Nettles can't afford to maintain their property, they should team up with Mr. Hawley and persuade their church to pass the plate for a "Nettles' Tree Fund." Also never mind that not long after the Nettles declined my offer to share expenses having the tree in back removed, they departed on a Caribbean cruise.
10/25/2018 update - tweeted a link to this post to International Paper and e-mailed a link to Mr. Hawley.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Thursday, September 13, 2018
BAD DOGS at 727 Hook Ave. in W. Cola., SC strike again - goon thug cops refuse to take action
I previously blogged about the bad dogs attacking me when I ride my bicycle by the property, and so-called law enforcement refusing to cite the owner. This morning one of the dogs came after me again, which is what anyone would expect when the W. Columbia police department, W. Columbia animal control, and the Lexington County Sheriff's Department refuse to do their jobs.
Law enforcement in Amerika has become a sham. Cops are goons and thugs, not at all interested in keeping the public safe. Time for the Amerikan Police State to clean up its act.
I know better than to waste my time filing more complaints.
Update 12/3/2018 - Law enforcement has convinced the dogs' owner(s) that they are above the law, so one of the dogs is always unrestrained. It barks at me, but so far hasn't attacked.
Updates 9/14/2018 -
> Yesterday's encounter caused a couple of very minor yet bloody scratches as I tried to defend myself and scraped against part of my bicycle. Apparently, law enforcement is trying to force me to kill one or more of the dogs (they were both loose), endangering everyone in the vicinity as I discharge a firearm in self defense. That's just how STUPID the jerks are.
> Twitter blocked my tweet with a link to this post from appearing on my profile page. Thank the Amerikan Police State.
Law enforcement in Amerika has become a sham. Cops are goons and thugs, not at all interested in keeping the public safe. Time for the Amerikan Police State to clean up its act.
I know better than to waste my time filing more complaints.
Update 12/3/2018 - Law enforcement has convinced the dogs' owner(s) that they are above the law, so one of the dogs is always unrestrained. It barks at me, but so far hasn't attacked.
Updates 9/14/2018 -
> Yesterday's encounter caused a couple of very minor yet bloody scratches as I tried to defend myself and scraped against part of my bicycle. Apparently, law enforcement is trying to force me to kill one or more of the dogs (they were both loose), endangering everyone in the vicinity as I discharge a firearm in self defense. That's just how STUPID the jerks are.
> Twitter blocked my tweet with a link to this post from appearing on my profile page. Thank the Amerikan Police State.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Update 8/1/2019 - I've decided I'd rather have a nice-looking yard than play childish games with the Nettles, lest my yard become a neighborhood eyesore like theirs. Nonetheless, I am not about to be bullied into paying for the Nettles to have their pine tree removed. The Nettles' latest stunt, the results of which were witnessed by a Lexington County Sheriff's Deputy, was for the people who mow the Nettles' yard to cut the side discharge on when mowing under the pine tree in front of the Nettles' house, thereby blowing a long pile of grass onto my yard, not to mention trespassing. On 9/13/2019, the Nettles struck again. This time the guy who mowed their yard blew a mess of pine straw - their yard was loaded with it - onto my yard and trespassed. The Nettles seem determined to have the issues associated with this matter settled in court. Perhaps the Nettles' church has been teaching them how to be good neighbors.
Update 10/23/20 - Shrri Nettles latest stunt is to call the police on me - using 911 to do so - because I yelled at her dog. The Lexington County Sheriff's Department sent two marked vehicles but of course her complaint didn't amount to my being charged with anything.>Update 10/7/2020 - I hired a crew to trim a thicket of Leyland Cypress trees, parts of the trunks of which were extending onto my property because the Nettles had been trimming the trees on their side, causing the tree(s) to lean heavily in the direcrtion of my property.This is why the Nettles, in their complaint, state that the tree they allege was removed was only partially removed. That was the part that extended onto my property. No tree was removed from the Nettles' property. Only the top part of one tree was removed, that being the part that extended onto my property. The Nettles, in their complaint, state that the tree(s) are Cedar, which is mistaken. All the trees, including the tree in quesrtion, are most certainly Leland Cypress, a much less expensive tree than cedar. I have never been accused of stalking anyone, much less has such a charge ever been proven.
My next door neighbors are Mike and Sherry Nettles. Mike is an engineer with International Paper at its Eastover Mill in South Carolina.Two of the Nettles' pine trees are near the border of my property, but located solidily on the Nettles'property, one in their front yard, another in their back yard.
In 2003, I had all of the pine trees in my yard removed. Since the tree guy was already on location and had done considerable work removing my trees, he was willing to remove the humongous pine - about five stories tall - in the Nettles' back yard for $1200, which included grinding the stump. At that time, I was in the midst of being a full-time caregiver for what turned out to be nine years, for my dad, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and I simply did not have the time required to clean up the mess such a large pine tree makes. For the record, my dad died at home at age 92. I consider it an honor and a privilege that I had the opportunity to take care of my dad. The humongeous pine tree was damaging the Nettles' fence, which I initially thought was simply because the tree had increased in size. I realized however, that most of the branches had wound up on "my" side of the tree, which caused the tree to lean heavily in my direction so bsadly in fact, that that was what was causing the severe lean was what was causing the tree to damage the Nettle' fence. The tree made such a big mess in my back yard, I figured it would be well worth $600 to be rid of it, and offered to split the cost with the Nettles, emphasizing to Sherry that the tree was damaging the Nettles' fence.
But alas. My offer was refused amidst Sherry taking a deep breath and declaring, "I just love pine trees. Just smell those pines." A current estimate to remove the tree is $1800, which does not include grinding the stump. It's good that Sherry is so enamored with pine trees because the Nettles' yard is loaded with 'em.
Then there's the other pine tree - 'bout average size - in their front yard that makes yet another mess in mine.
About a month ago, I decided to have both trees (the branches that extend over my yard) trimmed. The crew I hired trimmed the tree in back first. The tree in the Nettles" back yard was leaning so badly (toward my yard) that it sprung upright as soon as a total of eight enormous branches were removed. Over the years, the tree - and the branches that were causing it to lean - had increased in size, and to say the tree posed a safety hazard would be an understatement. The crew had completed their work when Sherry came out and started asking questions. I was shocked to learn - from the crew I hired - that under South Carolina law, if the tree had fallen into my yard, I would have been liable for any damages, injuries, or deaths. I hope that law - awareness of which seems mostly to be among people who work in tree-related industries - had nothing to do with the Nettles' nonchalance about sharing expenses to have the tree removed. Sherry now says she told Mike about my offer, but that Mike doesn't remember.
It cost me $700 just to have some of the branches that extend over my yard removed. The tree still makes a big mess, but at least it's less likely to fall into my yard.
When the crew started to trim the tree in front, Sherry came out and ordered them not to climb their tree. She directed me to "talk to Mike," adding that Mike might (emphasis mine) be willing to cut the tree down. She told the crew that they could "do what they needed to do, but they couldn't climb the tree." She had a cell phone, and seemed to be getting advice from someone. At the time, I assumed I could easily find a tree service to trim the tree using a hydraulic lift (the crew I hired didn't have one), and I was puzzled that Sherry seemed intent on delaying what I thought was inevitable.
That wasn't the first time I had been told to "talk to Mike" about the tree.
Several months ago, I noticed Hawley's Tree Service cutting down a tree across the street, and asked Mr. Hawley if he would trim the branches that extend over my yard. He said "we don't do much trimming," adding that he and the Nettles went to the same church, and said "Mike wants to cut the tree down." Mr. Hawley indicated that he would remove the tree for a bargain price, and told me to "talk to Mike."
Nuthin' like makin' the right friends at church.
It's as though Mike wouldn't be able to cut the tree down if I have the branches on my side trimmed. Actually, the tree was hit by lightning quite a few years back, and the Nettles themselves had it trimmed. If I recall correctly, Mr. Hawley did the job, which left the tree looking ridiculous. Two of the branches that extend over my property are very long, stand out like a sore thumb, dump refuse into my yard, and are way too high for me to reach. Talk about an ugly tree. The thing is misshapen, and scarred from the lightning strike. I wasn't surprised to hear that Mike wanted to get rid of it.
One of the pine trees I had removed in 2003 had branches that extended over the Nettles' yard, and up until the tree was removed, I would have welcomed any attempts to have those branches trimmed. Just for the record, I paid all the costs, and was more than glad to do so to get rid of a pine tree.
So exactly what, pray tell, am I supposed to "talk to Mike" about? The tree is clearly on his property, just as the aforementioned pine was on mine.
Since Sherry ordered the crew I hired not to climb the tree, I started trying to find a tree service to do the job with a hydraulic lift. And that's when things really got interesting. For openers, one of the guys on the crew I hired said he knew someone with a hydraulic lift, but I received no further contact. So I figured I would find someone else.
My next attempt was Top Cut Tree service, which happened to be taking trees down at another property on my street. I bicycled down and talked to one of the workers about trimming the tree, gave him my address, and explained that I didn't have a phone, but could be contacted by e-mail. He said the "boss man" would be by later, so I rode back when the "boss man" was there, and it was my understanding that he would follow me to my property. But lo and behold, when I got to my property and motioned for him to turn in, he kept right on going, and disappeared down the street. I then rode back to ask the worker what happened. He was also under the impression that the "boss man" was planning to follow me to my house. He then used his cell phone to talk to the "boss man," but there were no further efforts to contact me, even though Top Cut was at the property on my street for several days.
My third attempt (fourth if you include Mr. Hawley) was Mike's Tree Service (no relation, as far as I know, to Mike Nettles), who had a hydraulic lift, and happened to be removing trees in the West Columbia area. Mike took my e-mail address, shook hands, and promised to contact me, but lo and behold again, no further word from Mike either.
It was obvious that something strange was going on. So after I found out where Mike Nettles worked, I researched tree services and their relationship with the paper business. Talk about an eye-opener.
Did you ever wonder what tree services do with those logs and chips after they haul them away from a property? I found a website that offers a great overview. Logs are likely sold to Log Yards, chips are likely to go to the paper industry, which converts the chips to pulp. In South Carolina, if a tree service has obtained the necessary certifications, it can sell directly to a MILL, as in INTERNATIONAL PAPER'S EASTOVER MILL, WHERE MIKE NETTLES WORKS. And as the above-linked website points out (scroll down to the section titled Direct to Mill), "mills pay up to three times what a local wood yard pays for the same log."
Okay. I can understand why tree services - especially those large enough to invest in chippers and hydraulic lifts - might take special precautions to avoid offending an upper-echelon employee who works for the largest pulp and paper company in the world. By comparison, the crew I hired didn't even have a chipper, and hauled branches away in a couple of pickups, probably to a nearby dump or landfill. I'm convinced that none of them knew anything at all about International Paper. They had sufficient expertise, and were very careful not to use climbing-spikes or any other equipment which would damage the Nettles' trees.
I've answered - at least to my satisfaction - a number of questions I've had about this situation. As for the rest, I think it's time for International Paper - assuming they're not a willing participant in whatever it is that's going on - to get some straight answers out of Mr. Nettles, not the least of which is exactly what I'm supposed to talk to him about.
Meanwhile, my enthusiasm for cleaning up yard trash from the Nettles' pine tree has waned (See 8/1/2019 update at the top of this post). Hopefully, this post will help spread the word about what happened.
Update 8/29/2018 - Tweeted a link to this post to International Paper.
Update 9/4/2018 - Published a link to this post on Facebook on 8/29, and for about a week now I've been blocked from making standard posts on Facebook. I've had similar "coincidences" before with Facebook. Paul Craig Roberts' has a fantastic 9/1 article titled "Facebook Is An Intolerant Authoritarian Organization That Suppresses Free Speech".
Update 9/7/2018: Dr. Roberts offers more comments about Facebook.
Update 10/23/20 - Shrri Nettles latest stunt is to call the police on me - using 911 to do so - because I yelled at her dog. The Lexington County Sheriff's Department sent two marked vehicles but of course her complaint didn't amount to my being charged with anything.
My next door neighbors are Mike and Sherry Nettles. Mike is an engineer with International Paper at its Eastover Mill in South Carolina.Two of the Nettles' pine trees are near the border of my property, but located solidily on the Nettles'property, one in their front yard, another in their back yard.
In 2003, I had all of the pine trees in my yard removed. Since the tree guy was already on location and had done considerable work removing my trees, he was willing to remove the humongous pine - about five stories tall - in the Nettles' back yard for $1200, which included grinding the stump. At that time, I was in the midst of being a full-time caregiver for what turned out to be nine years, for my dad, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and I simply did not have the time required to clean up the mess such a large pine tree makes. For the record, my dad died at home at age 92. I consider it an honor and a privilege that I had the opportunity to take care of my dad. The humongeous pine tree was damaging the Nettles' fence, which I initially thought was simply because the tree had increased in size. I realized however, that most of the branches had wound up on "my" side of the tree, which caused the tree to lean heavily in my direction so bsadly in fact, that that was what was causing the severe lean was what was causing the tree to damage the Nettle' fence. The tree made such a big mess in my back yard, I figured it would be well worth $600 to be rid of it, and offered to split the cost with the Nettles, emphasizing to Sherry that the tree was damaging the Nettles' fence.
But alas. My offer was refused amidst Sherry taking a deep breath and declaring, "I just love pine trees. Just smell those pines." A current estimate to remove the tree is $1800, which does not include grinding the stump. It's good that Sherry is so enamored with pine trees because the Nettles' yard is loaded with 'em.
Then there's the other pine tree - 'bout average size - in their front yard that makes yet another mess in mine.
About a month ago, I decided to have both trees (the branches that extend over my yard) trimmed. The crew I hired trimmed the tree in back first. The tree in the Nettles" back yard was leaning so badly (toward my yard) that it sprung upright as soon as a total of eight enormous branches were removed. Over the years, the tree - and the branches that were causing it to lean - had increased in size, and to say the tree posed a safety hazard would be an understatement. The crew had completed their work when Sherry came out and started asking questions. I was shocked to learn - from the crew I hired - that under South Carolina law, if the tree had fallen into my yard, I would have been liable for any damages, injuries, or deaths. I hope that law - awareness of which seems mostly to be among people who work in tree-related industries - had nothing to do with the Nettles' nonchalance about sharing expenses to have the tree removed. Sherry now says she told Mike about my offer, but that Mike doesn't remember.
It cost me $700 just to have some of the branches that extend over my yard removed. The tree still makes a big mess, but at least it's less likely to fall into my yard.
When the crew started to trim the tree in front, Sherry came out and ordered them not to climb their tree. She directed me to "talk to Mike," adding that Mike might (emphasis mine) be willing to cut the tree down. She told the crew that they could "do what they needed to do, but they couldn't climb the tree." She had a cell phone, and seemed to be getting advice from someone. At the time, I assumed I could easily find a tree service to trim the tree using a hydraulic lift (the crew I hired didn't have one), and I was puzzled that Sherry seemed intent on delaying what I thought was inevitable.
That wasn't the first time I had been told to "talk to Mike" about the tree.
Several months ago, I noticed Hawley's Tree Service cutting down a tree across the street, and asked Mr. Hawley if he would trim the branches that extend over my yard. He said "we don't do much trimming," adding that he and the Nettles went to the same church, and said "Mike wants to cut the tree down." Mr. Hawley indicated that he would remove the tree for a bargain price, and told me to "talk to Mike."
Nuthin' like makin' the right friends at church.
It's as though Mike wouldn't be able to cut the tree down if I have the branches on my side trimmed. Actually, the tree was hit by lightning quite a few years back, and the Nettles themselves had it trimmed. If I recall correctly, Mr. Hawley did the job, which left the tree looking ridiculous. Two of the branches that extend over my property are very long, stand out like a sore thumb, dump refuse into my yard, and are way too high for me to reach. Talk about an ugly tree. The thing is misshapen, and scarred from the lightning strike. I wasn't surprised to hear that Mike wanted to get rid of it.
One of the pine trees I had removed in 2003 had branches that extended over the Nettles' yard, and up until the tree was removed, I would have welcomed any attempts to have those branches trimmed. Just for the record, I paid all the costs, and was more than glad to do so to get rid of a pine tree.
So exactly what, pray tell, am I supposed to "talk to Mike" about? The tree is clearly on his property, just as the aforementioned pine was on mine.
Since Sherry ordered the crew I hired not to climb the tree, I started trying to find a tree service to do the job with a hydraulic lift. And that's when things really got interesting. For openers, one of the guys on the crew I hired said he knew someone with a hydraulic lift, but I received no further contact. So I figured I would find someone else.
My next attempt was Top Cut Tree service, which happened to be taking trees down at another property on my street. I bicycled down and talked to one of the workers about trimming the tree, gave him my address, and explained that I didn't have a phone, but could be contacted by e-mail. He said the "boss man" would be by later, so I rode back when the "boss man" was there, and it was my understanding that he would follow me to my property. But lo and behold, when I got to my property and motioned for him to turn in, he kept right on going, and disappeared down the street. I then rode back to ask the worker what happened. He was also under the impression that the "boss man" was planning to follow me to my house. He then used his cell phone to talk to the "boss man," but there were no further efforts to contact me, even though Top Cut was at the property on my street for several days.
My third attempt (fourth if you include Mr. Hawley) was Mike's Tree Service (no relation, as far as I know, to Mike Nettles), who had a hydraulic lift, and happened to be removing trees in the West Columbia area. Mike took my e-mail address, shook hands, and promised to contact me, but lo and behold again, no further word from Mike either.
It was obvious that something strange was going on. So after I found out where Mike Nettles worked, I researched tree services and their relationship with the paper business. Talk about an eye-opener.
Did you ever wonder what tree services do with those logs and chips after they haul them away from a property? I found a website that offers a great overview. Logs are likely sold to Log Yards, chips are likely to go to the paper industry, which converts the chips to pulp. In South Carolina, if a tree service has obtained the necessary certifications, it can sell directly to a MILL, as in INTERNATIONAL PAPER'S EASTOVER MILL, WHERE MIKE NETTLES WORKS. And as the above-linked website points out (scroll down to the section titled Direct to Mill), "mills pay up to three times what a local wood yard pays for the same log."
Okay. I can understand why tree services - especially those large enough to invest in chippers and hydraulic lifts - might take special precautions to avoid offending an upper-echelon employee who works for the largest pulp and paper company in the world. By comparison, the crew I hired didn't even have a chipper, and hauled branches away in a couple of pickups, probably to a nearby dump or landfill. I'm convinced that none of them knew anything at all about International Paper. They had sufficient expertise, and were very careful not to use climbing-spikes or any other equipment which would damage the Nettles' trees.
I've answered - at least to my satisfaction - a number of questions I've had about this situation. As for the rest, I think it's time for International Paper - assuming they're not a willing participant in whatever it is that's going on - to get some straight answers out of Mr. Nettles, not the least of which is exactly what I'm supposed to talk to him about.
Meanwhile, my enthusiasm for cleaning up yard trash from the Nettles' pine tree has waned (See 8/1/2019 update at the top of this post). Hopefully, this post will help spread the word about what happened.
Update 8/29/2018 - Tweeted a link to this post to International Paper.
Update 9/4/2018 - Published a link to this post on Facebook on 8/29, and for about a week now I've been blocked from making standard posts on Facebook. I've had similar "coincidences" before with Facebook. Paul Craig Roberts' has a fantastic 9/1 article titled "Facebook Is An Intolerant Authoritarian Organization That Suppresses Free Speech".
Update 9/7/2018: Dr. Roberts offers more comments about Facebook.
Saturday, June 23, 2018
AT&T illegally disconnects my 911 access, lies to the FCC
Amerika (sic) is probably the biggest lie in the history of mankind. The corrupt little rat-hole is too cowardly to admit - and most Americans are too brainwashed to realize - that it's a dictatorship ruled by crooked corporations.
South Carolina law is very clear in prohibiting phone companies from disconnecting access to 911 regardless of the reason they decide to terminate someone's service. AT&T - livid because I refused to pay their fabricated bill - violated that law.
Recently, I thought it would be kinda fun to file a complaint with the FCC, just to see what excuse AT&T and the corrupt FCC would come up with to keep from re-connecting my access to 911. And wouldn't ya know it? AT&T told the FCC a blatant lie, claiming I asked them to terminate my phone service.
Actually, for over three years, I've done fine without having 911 access, and I was prepared to lose such access when I took on a goon thug corporation like AT&T. But that's another story.
Of course, it would be risky for a phone company to lie to the FCC if the FCC weren't owned by the corporations it claims to regulate. For example, the FCC has done a remarkable job of making sure robocalls continue while pretending it wants to stop 'em. Toss in Consumers Union's deceitful "Campaign to End Robocalls" and you have an orchestrated effort to keep consumers bankrolling crooked businesses like AT&T. .
The FCC - intent on upholding a corporate crook - took AT&T's blatant lie at face value, and ruled that AT&T had "responded" to my concern, case closed. Here's a copy of my reply to the FCC:
AT&T - the kind of bullying corporate THUG the FCC loves to represent - made 'a response' to my concern. Never mind that their response was ridiculous.
SO glad I haven't had a phone for over 3 years, and use a computer at the library. I continue to save tons of money - just wish I had taken such action sooner. Ah, the peace and quiet of not being harassed by robocalls, much less PAYING for such harassment.
Never expected the FCC to take any action on my behalf - just wanted to cause AT&T the trouble of making a reply. The FCC is a typical government agency, always looking out for thugs like AT&T instead of consumers.
It's not surprising that the FCC is campaigning to limit free speech on the Internet. Here's a link to one of my blog posts about AT&T: Beaten at its own game, AT&T discounts the bill I DON'T owe 'em
I loved it when Dr. Paul Craig Roberts ran a guest article about the FCC's efforts to do away with Internet neutrality and headlined his reference "The Internet, the Last Bastion of Free Speech in America, is Under FCC Attack." Sending the FCC the link to my blog post was right on target.
When I got the letter AT&T was required to mail me about my complaint, I wasn't surprised that the sex-obsessed, LGBTQQIAAP-supportin' thug evidenced some gender confusion. Remember to thank AT&T for contributing to America's never-ending epidemic of STDs.
I just love it when corporate scum and their government cohorts start believing that high-tech gadgetry is one of life's basic necessities. It must be a shocker to a greedy thug like AT&T that somebody has managed to get along so well for over three years without having a phone, 911 access, or home Internet.
You see, boys and girls, Amerika's corrupt power structure has a vested interest in making sure everyone has a phone, preferably a cell phone. It makes consumers vulnerable to robocalls from corporate bill collectors even if charges are unwarranted. But that's only part of the picture. Dr. Roberts gets to the crux of the matter in his recent article, "I Remember When America Was A Free Country," stating, "Their cell phones, social media, and the Internet give them the illusion of freedom (emphasis mine)."
It's always a pleasure to expose AT&T for lying, but to expose 'em for lying to the much-ballyhooed FCC has been a real bonus. Made my day.
Update 6/29/2018 - My pleasure to send a link to this post to AT&T's president's office and the FCC. Talk about a goon thug corporation being above the law...
South Carolina law is very clear in prohibiting phone companies from disconnecting access to 911 regardless of the reason they decide to terminate someone's service. AT&T - livid because I refused to pay their fabricated bill - violated that law.
Recently, I thought it would be kinda fun to file a complaint with the FCC, just to see what excuse AT&T and the corrupt FCC would come up with to keep from re-connecting my access to 911. And wouldn't ya know it? AT&T told the FCC a blatant lie, claiming I asked them to terminate my phone service.
Actually, for over three years, I've done fine without having 911 access, and I was prepared to lose such access when I took on a goon thug corporation like AT&T. But that's another story.
Of course, it would be risky for a phone company to lie to the FCC if the FCC weren't owned by the corporations it claims to regulate. For example, the FCC has done a remarkable job of making sure robocalls continue while pretending it wants to stop 'em. Toss in Consumers Union's deceitful "Campaign to End Robocalls" and you have an orchestrated effort to keep consumers bankrolling crooked businesses like AT&T. .
The FCC - intent on upholding a corporate crook - took AT&T's blatant lie at face value, and ruled that AT&T had "responded" to my concern, case closed. Here's a copy of my reply to the FCC:
AT&T - the kind of bullying corporate THUG the FCC loves to represent - made 'a response' to my concern. Never mind that their response was ridiculous.
SO glad I haven't had a phone for over 3 years, and use a computer at the library. I continue to save tons of money - just wish I had taken such action sooner. Ah, the peace and quiet of not being harassed by robocalls, much less PAYING for such harassment.
Never expected the FCC to take any action on my behalf - just wanted to cause AT&T the trouble of making a reply. The FCC is a typical government agency, always looking out for thugs like AT&T instead of consumers.
It's not surprising that the FCC is campaigning to limit free speech on the Internet. Here's a link to one of my blog posts about AT&T: Beaten at its own game, AT&T discounts the bill I DON'T owe 'em
I loved it when Dr. Paul Craig Roberts ran a guest article about the FCC's efforts to do away with Internet neutrality and headlined his reference "The Internet, the Last Bastion of Free Speech in America, is Under FCC Attack." Sending the FCC the link to my blog post was right on target.
When I got the letter AT&T was required to mail me about my complaint, I wasn't surprised that the sex-obsessed, LGBTQQIAAP-supportin' thug evidenced some gender confusion. Remember to thank AT&T for contributing to America's never-ending epidemic of STDs.
I just love it when corporate scum and their government cohorts start believing that high-tech gadgetry is one of life's basic necessities. It must be a shocker to a greedy thug like AT&T that somebody has managed to get along so well for over three years without having a phone, 911 access, or home Internet.
You see, boys and girls, Amerika's corrupt power structure has a vested interest in making sure everyone has a phone, preferably a cell phone. It makes consumers vulnerable to robocalls from corporate bill collectors even if charges are unwarranted. But that's only part of the picture. Dr. Roberts gets to the crux of the matter in his recent article, "I Remember When America Was A Free Country," stating, "Their cell phones, social media, and the Internet give them the illusion of freedom (emphasis mine)."
It's always a pleasure to expose AT&T for lying, but to expose 'em for lying to the much-ballyhooed FCC has been a real bonus. Made my day.
Update 6/29/2018 - My pleasure to send a link to this post to AT&T's president's office and the FCC. Talk about a goon thug corporation being above the law...
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
LOUSY service via Craig Friedrich and Ski Country Sports in Asheville, North Carolina
Update 10/9/2018 - the merchandise I received was problematic from a safety standpoint, and on 10/8/2018, my credit card company credited my account for the entire charge.
I just love it when people act dumb. People who act that way are without exception dumb enough as it is without acting the part. I encountered just that sort of performance when I recently ordered some bicycling accessories from Craig Friedrich at Ski Country Sports, masquerading on Twitter as @AshevilleBike
If you want ridiculous delays, vague responses, misquotes on shipping charges, and eventual delivery of items that aren't quite what you had in mind but the difference isn't worth correcting, try ordering online from the jerks at Ski Country Sports. Don't waste time, money, and effort trying to purchase anything from these jerks, in-store or online.
It was kinda fun playing along with Craig's foolishness on a pocket-change order, just to see what he would come up with next. Wouldn't wanna try that with a big ticket item.
I'm not surprised. Asheville is where Earth Fare - one of the sleaziest food operations imaginable - started their business and now has their headquarters.
Maybe I've been blacklisted,
Update 6/13/2018 - For a minute there, I thought I'd gotten the wrong part, and complained to my credit card company. In the process, I temporarily removed this post while I reviewed the entire matter. Fortunately, the part I received was correct, apparently just a different color from the color it used to be. I extended apologies to all concerned. Overall, my experience with Ski Country Sports has been a nightmare.
I just love it when people act dumb. People who act that way are without exception dumb enough as it is without acting the part. I encountered just that sort of performance when I recently ordered some bicycling accessories from Craig Friedrich at Ski Country Sports, masquerading on Twitter as @AshevilleBike
If you want ridiculous delays, vague responses, misquotes on shipping charges, and eventual delivery of items that aren't quite what you had in mind but the difference isn't worth correcting, try ordering online from the jerks at Ski Country Sports. Don't waste time, money, and effort trying to purchase anything from these jerks, in-store or online.
It was kinda fun playing along with Craig's foolishness on a pocket-change order, just to see what he would come up with next. Wouldn't wanna try that with a big ticket item.
I'm not surprised. Asheville is where Earth Fare - one of the sleaziest food operations imaginable - started their business and now has their headquarters.
Maybe I've been blacklisted,
Update 6/13/2018 - For a minute there, I thought I'd gotten the wrong part, and complained to my credit card company. In the process, I temporarily removed this post while I reviewed the entire matter. Fortunately, the part I received was correct, apparently just a different color from the color it used to be. I extended apologies to all concerned. Overall, my experience with Ski Country Sports has been a nightmare.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
THANK YOU, Firestone, for offering online chat
Update 6/1/2018 - After using the chat service on Firestone's website, I got e-mail info for the financial department, and my refund arrived pronto. This is GREAT news for me 'cause I've been VERY favorably impressed with Firestone's service, and will be DELIGHTED to continue being their devoted customer. I especially want to thank Firestone for offering the opportunity to chat online, which indicates their awareness that everyone doesn't have a phone. I haven't had one - landline or cell (never wanted or had a cell phone) for over four years, and I LOVE it. I decided to let AT&T disconnect my home phone and Internet instead of paying the crooks a $118 bill I didn't owe 'em, and I've saved a TON of money. I REFUSE TO PAY TO BE HARASSED BY ROBOCALLS.
Updates 12/15/2019 -
> I'm now convinced that this entire matter was due to a fake website I contacted on 4/13/18 - the lady I chatted with later at Firestone's authentic website was unable to verify my claim number and said it didn't appear to be one of Firestone's. I'm TOTALLY SATISFIED with Firestone's service as well as their response to this matter, and I extend my apologies to Firestone for being a bit too hasty to write the original post, titled "Beware of Firestone Complete Auto Care," which I have now removed. Much pressure - far more than I realized at the time I wrote the original post - is being exerted on businesses by the telephone industry to refuse to communicate online, thereby attempting to force consumers to use phones. The telephoned industry is intimidating businesses from communicating online for fear their e-mails will be blocked. The three instances I have blogged about (click the links) have now become business as usual. Nonetheless, one of the quickest ways to lose my business is for any business to refuse to communicate online, preferably like Firestone does, by offering both live chat and e-mail. Edward Snowden has exposed the government's and businesses' interest in everyone having a phone, preferably a cell phone. Read the article, then tell me if you really wanna hold a cell phone next to your brain. No wonder Amazon offered a $50 discount on a pair of shoes provided you entered a mobile phone number to get their "Prime" credit card. Got news for telephone-industry-kissin' Amazon: I make WAY more than $50 by not having a phone and by using a computer at the library.
> SUDDENLY, I'M BLOCKED FROM PUBLISHING ANYTHING AT ALL ON TWITTER. WONDER HOW MUCH TWITTER CHARGES TELEPHONE INDUSTRY GOONS, ALSO KNOWN AS REPUTATION MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, TO ACCESS SOMEONE'S ACCOUNT, AND WONDER HOW MUCH THE TELEPHONE INDUSTRY PAYS THEIR GOON SQUADS TO PLAY EVERY DIRTY TRICK IMAGINABLE - INCLUDING FAKE WEBSITES - TO HARASS CONSUMER-ORIENTED BUSINESSES LIKE FIRESTONE WHO DARE TO OFFER ONLINE COMMUNICATION. MEANWHILE, A PAID-OFF CONGRESS (DUE TO AMERIKA'S CORRUPT ELECTORAL SYSTEM) LOOKS THE OTHER WAY AS LIFE IN AMERIKA BECOMES A NIGHTMARE.
Update 2/2/2020 - ANOTHER GREAT EXPERIENCE with Firestone today. NO CHARGE for diagnosing my problem and referring me to a muffler shop. Seems businesses that offer to communicate online are the best bet for great service otherwise.
Updates 12/15/2019 -
> I'm now convinced that this entire matter was due to a fake website I contacted on 4/13/18 - the lady I chatted with later at Firestone's authentic website was unable to verify my claim number and said it didn't appear to be one of Firestone's. I'm TOTALLY SATISFIED with Firestone's service as well as their response to this matter, and I extend my apologies to Firestone for being a bit too hasty to write the original post, titled "Beware of Firestone Complete Auto Care," which I have now removed. Much pressure - far more than I realized at the time I wrote the original post - is being exerted on businesses by the telephone industry to refuse to communicate online, thereby attempting to force consumers to use phones. The telephoned industry is intimidating businesses from communicating online for fear their e-mails will be blocked. The three instances I have blogged about (click the links) have now become business as usual. Nonetheless, one of the quickest ways to lose my business is for any business to refuse to communicate online, preferably like Firestone does, by offering both live chat and e-mail. Edward Snowden has exposed the government's and businesses' interest in everyone having a phone, preferably a cell phone. Read the article, then tell me if you really wanna hold a cell phone next to your brain. No wonder Amazon offered a $50 discount on a pair of shoes provided you entered a mobile phone number to get their "Prime" credit card. Got news for telephone-industry-kissin' Amazon: I make WAY more than $50 by not having a phone and by using a computer at the library.
> SUDDENLY, I'M BLOCKED FROM PUBLISHING ANYTHING AT ALL ON TWITTER. WONDER HOW MUCH TWITTER CHARGES TELEPHONE INDUSTRY GOONS, ALSO KNOWN AS REPUTATION MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, TO ACCESS SOMEONE'S ACCOUNT, AND WONDER HOW MUCH THE TELEPHONE INDUSTRY PAYS THEIR GOON SQUADS TO PLAY EVERY DIRTY TRICK IMAGINABLE - INCLUDING FAKE WEBSITES - TO HARASS CONSUMER-ORIENTED BUSINESSES LIKE FIRESTONE WHO DARE TO OFFER ONLINE COMMUNICATION. MEANWHILE, A PAID-OFF CONGRESS (DUE TO AMERIKA'S CORRUPT ELECTORAL SYSTEM) LOOKS THE OTHER WAY AS LIFE IN AMERIKA BECOMES A NIGHTMARE.
Update 2/2/2020 - ANOTHER GREAT EXPERIENCE with Firestone today. NO CHARGE for diagnosing my problem and referring me to a muffler shop. Seems businesses that offer to communicate online are the best bet for great service otherwise.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
BEWARE of Consumers Union's campaign to end robocalls
Update 5/17/2019 - This post has now been vindicated. The number of robocalls has surged in recent years. Consumers Union's efforts (they've now changed their name to Consumer Reports Advocacy), along with those of the U.S. (Unlimited Stupidity) government's, to end these calls have failed because they were never intended to succeed. Consumers Reports Advocacy and corrupt regulators are obviously opposed to empowering consumers. IS ANYONE SURPRISED THAT BRINGING BACK PAY PHONES NEVER MAKES THE NEWS? Meanwhile, I've saved about $4,000 since allowing thug goon AT&T to disconnect my home phone and Internet rather than pay a bill I didn't owe 'em. Consumer Reports Advocacy has apparently blocked me from posting comments on articles they publish about ending robocalls. Doncha just LOVE their devotion to free speech.
"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." - anonymous
I got a bad first impression of the Consumers Union gang when I asked them to investigate engine failures in MR2 Spyders. They expressed an interest, then clammed up, never advising consumers of the risk involved in purchasing one. That was long ago.
So it was with cautious optimism that I got involved with their so-called Campaign to End Robocalls. Started promoting their campaign on my blog posts as I wrote about my decision to not have a landline or cell phone as an alternative to paying to be harassed by robocalls. I didn't see what participating in their campaign could hurt, and hoped to learn more about Consumers Union along the way.
I learned a great deal about 'em.
Ending robocalls is no problem - it'll soon be three years since AT&T terminated my "service" (including home Internet). I sure wish the thug had taken such action long ago. The peace n quiet that comes with an assurance that my phone ain't gonna ring remains absolutely glorious, and my bank account continues to grow. Factor in the IMMENSE satisfaction of not enriching the coffers of an out-of-control telephone industry, and it's wunna the best deals ya could ask for.
Along the way, I became acutely aware of the crooked telephone industry's campaign to eliminate coin-operated pay phones, and posted about it more than once on Consumers Union's Facebook page. Those comments were ignored, whereas my comments promoting CU's "Campaign to End Robocalls" were met with enthusiastic responses from CU, even to the point of hosting live links to my blog posts about not having a landline, cell phone, or home Internet. .
Then I began to notice businesses insisting that consumers use a phone to purchase products and services, which prompted several blog posts, all linked to in my post,"Is Mountain America Federal Credit Union in cahoots with the telephone industry?" After publishing that post, the question quickly became "Is CONSUMERS UNION in cahoots with the telephone industry?"
In the process of publishing tweets with a link to my post about Mountain America, I replied to one of Consumers Union's tweets, and my reply was apparently removed. So I fired off a tweet to CU asking if they were trying to keep things quiet about businesses helping phone companies force consumers to use phones. CU absurdly denied that my reply to their tweet had been removed, stating that it had been sent off for investigation and they would be in touch.
Just for grins n chuckles, I then posted a link to my post about Mountain America on CU's Facebook page. And the strangest thing happened. My post wouldn't appear as the most recent, which would have given it exposure on the front of CU's Facebook page. Instead, the post was buried, appearing out-of-sequence, and prompted no response from CU, even after I explained what had happened in a reply to the post.
I just love it when organizations act dumb. If CU was really interested in helping consumers, they would object not only to businesses requiring folks to use phones to obtain products and services, CU would have been objecting to the elimination of pay phones from the get-go. With me, it's a matter of choice not to have landline or cell. Many folks, for example those who are in bad health, not so fortunate, which demonstrates how greedy the telephone industry is, and how uncaring for consumers CU actually is. That CU touts itself as an advocacy for consumers is a joke.
CU finally "got in touch" with me via a message on Twitter, suggesting - of all things - that I contact them by phone. Of course, I insisted on e-mail, and finally got an e-mail asking what I thought about robocalls.
The gist of my response was to emphasize - as though CU is unaware - that e-mail and pay phones empower consumers with an inexpensive option to handing over big bucks each month to communicate, not to mention paying to put up with robocalls or paying extra to cut down on the harassment. Businesses helping phone companies by requiring consumers to use phones demonstrates that if ya give greedy goons like AT&T an inch by allowin' 'em to eliminate coin-operated pay phones, they'll take a mile. And CU couldn't care less. Let's just say that things are often not what they appear to be, especially in a society that worships deceit. At least I wuz never suckered into donating money to CU.
I've come to be uncomfortable with any person or group that encourages any kind of "campaign" directed at getting elected officials to reign in crooked corporations. Amerika is a cesspool of corruption aimed at enriching crooked, greedy goons like AT&T, Toyota, State Farm, and Toro, just to name a few. There's also a nationwide probate racket that's been going on for decades. American government is at all levels run by crooked corporate interests, making fools of a cowardly, brainwashed public "programmed" to think they can vote their way out of the malaise. I quit wasting my time at the polls long ago. Make no mistake: Robocalls are BIG BUSINESS, and if ol' Uncle Sammy wanted to end robocalls, the unconscionable jerk would have done so long ago. So-called regulatory agencies such as NHTSA (No Help To Solve Anything) are the biggest jokes of all, acting as agents for the crooked industries they claim to regulate.
Meanwhile...
I'm literally getting paid to avoid robocalls. As brainwashed Americans wander around in a patriotic stupor, blabbering on cell phones and shelling out big bucks each month to do so, I've verified that I rarely need to use a phone. I've quit promoting CU and their laughable efforts to appeal to corporate-controlled stooges to reign in the crooked corporate interests that fund their election campaigns.
Amerika's effort to attain self-governance has been nothing more than a spectacular failure. Recent polls indicate that Americans are beginning to realize that their government is a dictatorship.
Update 4/4/2018 - Such a pleasure to tweet CU a link to this post.
"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." - anonymous
I got a bad first impression of the Consumers Union gang when I asked them to investigate engine failures in MR2 Spyders. They expressed an interest, then clammed up, never advising consumers of the risk involved in purchasing one. That was long ago.
So it was with cautious optimism that I got involved with their so-called Campaign to End Robocalls. Started promoting their campaign on my blog posts as I wrote about my decision to not have a landline or cell phone as an alternative to paying to be harassed by robocalls. I didn't see what participating in their campaign could hurt, and hoped to learn more about Consumers Union along the way.
I learned a great deal about 'em.
Ending robocalls is no problem - it'll soon be three years since AT&T terminated my "service" (including home Internet). I sure wish the thug had taken such action long ago. The peace n quiet that comes with an assurance that my phone ain't gonna ring remains absolutely glorious, and my bank account continues to grow. Factor in the IMMENSE satisfaction of not enriching the coffers of an out-of-control telephone industry, and it's wunna the best deals ya could ask for.
Along the way, I became acutely aware of the crooked telephone industry's campaign to eliminate coin-operated pay phones, and posted about it more than once on Consumers Union's Facebook page. Those comments were ignored, whereas my comments promoting CU's "Campaign to End Robocalls" were met with enthusiastic responses from CU, even to the point of hosting live links to my blog posts about not having a landline, cell phone, or home Internet. .
Then I began to notice businesses insisting that consumers use a phone to purchase products and services, which prompted several blog posts, all linked to in my post,"Is Mountain America Federal Credit Union in cahoots with the telephone industry?" After publishing that post, the question quickly became "Is CONSUMERS UNION in cahoots with the telephone industry?"
In the process of publishing tweets with a link to my post about Mountain America, I replied to one of Consumers Union's tweets, and my reply was apparently removed. So I fired off a tweet to CU asking if they were trying to keep things quiet about businesses helping phone companies force consumers to use phones. CU absurdly denied that my reply to their tweet had been removed, stating that it had been sent off for investigation and they would be in touch.
Just for grins n chuckles, I then posted a link to my post about Mountain America on CU's Facebook page. And the strangest thing happened. My post wouldn't appear as the most recent, which would have given it exposure on the front of CU's Facebook page. Instead, the post was buried, appearing out-of-sequence, and prompted no response from CU, even after I explained what had happened in a reply to the post.
I just love it when organizations act dumb. If CU was really interested in helping consumers, they would object not only to businesses requiring folks to use phones to obtain products and services, CU would have been objecting to the elimination of pay phones from the get-go. With me, it's a matter of choice not to have landline or cell. Many folks, for example those who are in bad health, not so fortunate, which demonstrates how greedy the telephone industry is, and how uncaring for consumers CU actually is. That CU touts itself as an advocacy for consumers is a joke.
CU finally "got in touch" with me via a message on Twitter, suggesting - of all things - that I contact them by phone. Of course, I insisted on e-mail, and finally got an e-mail asking what I thought about robocalls.
The gist of my response was to emphasize - as though CU is unaware - that e-mail and pay phones empower consumers with an inexpensive option to handing over big bucks each month to communicate, not to mention paying to put up with robocalls or paying extra to cut down on the harassment. Businesses helping phone companies by requiring consumers to use phones demonstrates that if ya give greedy goons like AT&T an inch by allowin' 'em to eliminate coin-operated pay phones, they'll take a mile. And CU couldn't care less. Let's just say that things are often not what they appear to be, especially in a society that worships deceit. At least I wuz never suckered into donating money to CU.
I've come to be uncomfortable with any person or group that encourages any kind of "campaign" directed at getting elected officials to reign in crooked corporations. Amerika is a cesspool of corruption aimed at enriching crooked, greedy goons like AT&T, Toyota, State Farm, and Toro, just to name a few. There's also a nationwide probate racket that's been going on for decades. American government is at all levels run by crooked corporate interests, making fools of a cowardly, brainwashed public "programmed" to think they can vote their way out of the malaise. I quit wasting my time at the polls long ago. Make no mistake: Robocalls are BIG BUSINESS, and if ol' Uncle Sammy wanted to end robocalls, the unconscionable jerk would have done so long ago. So-called regulatory agencies such as NHTSA (No Help To Solve Anything) are the biggest jokes of all, acting as agents for the crooked industries they claim to regulate.
Meanwhile...
I'm literally getting paid to avoid robocalls. As brainwashed Americans wander around in a patriotic stupor, blabbering on cell phones and shelling out big bucks each month to do so, I've verified that I rarely need to use a phone. I've quit promoting CU and their laughable efforts to appeal to corporate-controlled stooges to reign in the crooked corporate interests that fund their election campaigns.
Amerika's effort to attain self-governance has been nothing more than a spectacular failure. Recent polls indicate that Americans are beginning to realize that their government is a dictatorship.
Update 4/4/2018 - Such a pleasure to tweet CU a link to this post.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Nuclear power scandal: High time South Carolinians march on the State House
"Bankruptcy isn't out of the question, (analysts) say, but it may not be the inevitable outcome (SCANA) has suggested." - article, The Post and Courier
South Carolinians are being set up for another shellacking by SCANA and its bought and paid for stooges in the legislature. The gall of a gang of paid-off jerks - charged with representing the public interest - to quietly arrange for customers to underwrite the financial risk of a private corporation. To pay in advance for an unnecessary project and to keep paying even if the project fails.
Those in power couldn't care less what people want, or what's in the people's interest. The behavior of Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler epitomizes the shameful state of affairs. Setzler co-sponsored the bill that got us into this mess, supports a deal with Dominion Energy that would leave ratepayers ripped off, and has a profound conflict of interest via his probate-dealing law firm when it comes to South Carolina's probate racket. He's a sadistic, high-handed little jerk who refuses to acknowledge the latest e-mail I sent him (via SC Legislature Online) way back on 12/5/2017 asking what he plans to do this legislative session to eliminate time limits on wills and simplify the probate process.
It all points to one thing: America is a dictatorship.
The few timid expressions of public displeasure with the nuclear fiasco have nonetheless been enough to throw South Carolina's corrupt power structure into a panic, prompting outcries of concern for SCANA, a crooked, 9 billion dollar holding company that now claims - is anyone surprised? - that if it's forced to give back all the money stolen from utility customers, it will go bankrupt, prompting unbearable agony for utility customers. To hear the state's power brokers and their mainstream media stooges tell it, the only "reasonable" thing to do is for utility customers to settle for way less than they're entitled to, way less than they lost, and continue to pay for a boondoggle that will never produce any energy.
The SCANA and legislative gang's Johnny-come-lately concern for utility customers is aptly summed up by the proposed sale of SCE&G to Virginia-based Dominion Energy: "Just offer the suckers a few up-front dollars along with a nominal decrease in rates, and they're sure to bite."
Here's the kinda propaganda we're being bombarded with:
"Hey, we could get ripped off even worse, and something is better than nothing" blabbers Keven Cohen, chief honcho of Columbia's Miss the Point radio. I recently blogged about the antics of Cohen and his friend Ashley Landess, president of the South Carolina Policy Council. Cohen has since been running Dominion Energy ads, spotlighting Dominion big shots as guests, and airing the opinion of Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, who "ever so sadly" intoned that "there just isn't any way" that ratepayers can be made whole.
Then there's the State newspaper's Cindi Ross Scoppi - another would-be investigative reporter who balks at exposing South Carolina's probate racket. Scoppe downplays anything short of ratepayers being taken to the cleaners in the current ripoff proposed by Dominion. I quit subscribing to the State's biased rag years ago, haven't bought one since, and noticed Scoppe's blabber via the Internet.
It's not that the paid-off creeps that got us into this mess deserve to be voted out of office. It's that they deserve to be tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. Nor do I buy the claim that there are "some good legislators." I'll make exceptions if someone can gimme the names of anyone who warned the public about what was going on when the oh-so-cleverly-named "Base Load Review Act" was originally proposed.
Point is, if South Carolinians are dumb enough to settle for anything less than a full refund from SCANA, they richly deserve the fleecing it looks like they're gonna get.
1/26/2018 updates
> Protested SC's probate racket for a little over 2.5 hours yesterday in front of Williams, Stitely, and Brink law firm across from the probate court in Lexington.
> Sent a link to this post to all SC legislators and Ethics and Judiciary committees and e-mailed a link to Nikki Setzler's sidekick, Alisa Painter.
South Carolinians are being set up for another shellacking by SCANA and its bought and paid for stooges in the legislature. The gall of a gang of paid-off jerks - charged with representing the public interest - to quietly arrange for customers to underwrite the financial risk of a private corporation. To pay in advance for an unnecessary project and to keep paying even if the project fails.
Those in power couldn't care less what people want, or what's in the people's interest. The behavior of Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler epitomizes the shameful state of affairs. Setzler co-sponsored the bill that got us into this mess, supports a deal with Dominion Energy that would leave ratepayers ripped off, and has a profound conflict of interest via his probate-dealing law firm when it comes to South Carolina's probate racket. He's a sadistic, high-handed little jerk who refuses to acknowledge the latest e-mail I sent him (via SC Legislature Online) way back on 12/5/2017 asking what he plans to do this legislative session to eliminate time limits on wills and simplify the probate process.
It all points to one thing: America is a dictatorship.
The few timid expressions of public displeasure with the nuclear fiasco have nonetheless been enough to throw South Carolina's corrupt power structure into a panic, prompting outcries of concern for SCANA, a crooked, 9 billion dollar holding company that now claims - is anyone surprised? - that if it's forced to give back all the money stolen from utility customers, it will go bankrupt, prompting unbearable agony for utility customers. To hear the state's power brokers and their mainstream media stooges tell it, the only "reasonable" thing to do is for utility customers to settle for way less than they're entitled to, way less than they lost, and continue to pay for a boondoggle that will never produce any energy.
The SCANA and legislative gang's Johnny-come-lately concern for utility customers is aptly summed up by the proposed sale of SCE&G to Virginia-based Dominion Energy: "Just offer the suckers a few up-front dollars along with a nominal decrease in rates, and they're sure to bite."
Here's the kinda propaganda we're being bombarded with:
"Hey, we could get ripped off even worse, and something is better than nothing" blabbers Keven Cohen, chief honcho of Columbia's Miss the Point radio. I recently blogged about the antics of Cohen and his friend Ashley Landess, president of the South Carolina Policy Council. Cohen has since been running Dominion Energy ads, spotlighting Dominion big shots as guests, and airing the opinion of Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, who "ever so sadly" intoned that "there just isn't any way" that ratepayers can be made whole.
Then there's the State newspaper's Cindi Ross Scoppi - another would-be investigative reporter who balks at exposing South Carolina's probate racket. Scoppe downplays anything short of ratepayers being taken to the cleaners in the current ripoff proposed by Dominion. I quit subscribing to the State's biased rag years ago, haven't bought one since, and noticed Scoppe's blabber via the Internet.
It's not that the paid-off creeps that got us into this mess deserve to be voted out of office. It's that they deserve to be tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. Nor do I buy the claim that there are "some good legislators." I'll make exceptions if someone can gimme the names of anyone who warned the public about what was going on when the oh-so-cleverly-named "Base Load Review Act" was originally proposed.
Point is, if South Carolinians are dumb enough to settle for anything less than a full refund from SCANA, they richly deserve the fleecing it looks like they're gonna get.
1/26/2018 updates
> Protested SC's probate racket for a little over 2.5 hours yesterday in front of Williams, Stitely, and Brink law firm across from the probate court in Lexington.
> Sent a link to this post to all SC legislators and Ethics and Judiciary committees and e-mailed a link to Nikki Setzler's sidekick, Alisa Painter.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Mountain America Federal Credit Union: In cahoots with the telephone industry
4/10/2019 update: The much ballyhooed Credit Karma has also apparently joined ranks with the telephone industry. Credit Karma advertises a free filing of tax returns, but can't "understand your message" when someone dares to not have a phone. Below is a copy of their reply, arriving days after I contacted Member Support as their free-file website indicated for people without phones. Meanwhile, I found a free tax-filing service via South Carolina Dept of Revenue. Read the reviews: Credit Karma's so-called Member Support is lousy for anyone, whether Credit Karma's victims have a phone or not. AVOID 'em like the plague.
4/5/2018 update: For the latest, see 4/3/18 post, "BEWARE of Consumers Union's campaign to end robocalls"
3/8/2018 update: Re 2/8 update, a minor health issue delayed things, but more info is planned re Consumers Union.
2/8/2018 update: Consumers Union has been in touch. Earlier today, I replied to an e-mail from one of their employees who works on robocall issues. Stay tuned.
2/5/2018 update: Still no word from Consumers Union (see 1/10 and 1/13 updates), even though I've asked. Here's a copy of the tweet they sent me, and it still looks to me like my reply was removed:
1/30/2018 update: Here's a copy of the message I received from Mountain America Federal Credit Union:
1/10/2018 update: Recent efforts to tweet a link to this post resulted in a blocked link. My apologies for that. Apparently, the only link that currently works on Twitter and Facebook is a general link to this blog. Thanks for your interest. As of 1/31/18, specific link is once again blocked.
Regarding phone companies trying to force people to have home phones or cell phones, I decided to expose an unpleasant experience I had last year with Mountain America Federal Credit Union in West Jordan, Utah.
| ##- Please type your reply above this line -## | |||
| |||
Credit Karma Member Support, Apr 11, 7:08 AM PDT: |
4/5/2018 update: For the latest, see 4/3/18 post, "BEWARE of Consumers Union's campaign to end robocalls"
3/8/2018 update: Re 2/8 update, a minor health issue delayed things, but more info is planned re Consumers Union.
2/8/2018 update: Consumers Union has been in touch. Earlier today, I replied to an e-mail from one of their employees who works on robocall issues. Stay tuned.
2/5/2018 update: Still no word from Consumers Union (see 1/10 and 1/13 updates), even though I've asked. Here's a copy of the tweet they sent me, and it still looks to me like my reply was removed:
Hi Parris, your reply wasn't removed. We've shared it with the appropriate staff person to investigate. We'll be in touch!
Mr. Boyd,
In order for us to move forward, I need to speak with you over the phone. I am not allowed to open an account without having verbal conformation. I tried the number on the application (803) 796-3357 but it’s not a working number. Please call me on my direct line, (801) XXX-XXXX.
1/10/2018 update: Recent efforts to tweet a link to this post resulted in a blocked link. My apologies for that. Apparently, the only link that currently works on Twitter and Facebook is a general link to this blog. Thanks for your interest. As of 1/31/18, specific link is once again blocked.
Regarding phone companies trying to force people to have home phones or cell phones, I decided to expose an unpleasant experience I had last year with Mountain America Federal Credit Union in West Jordan, Utah.
Tried to open a CD, and they express-mailed me some forms to be notarized. I complied and express-mailed the forms back in the envelope they included.
Then they e-mailed me that I would have to call them for "phone verification." Never mind that I'm in South Carolina and it was not an 800 number. (see 1/30 update, top of post, for an exact copy of the message)
So I never opened the account, and got a higher interest rate elsewhere. Sometimes it pays to look around. Searching reviews, I found one that claimed Mountain America required wire transfers if you opened an account from out of state. Fortunately, I never got that far with 'em.
I strongly recommend avoiding Mountain America.
So I never opened the account, and got a higher interest rate elsewhere. Sometimes it pays to look around. Searching reviews, I found one that claimed Mountain America required wire transfers if you opened an account from out of state. Fortunately, I never got that far with 'em.
I strongly recommend avoiding Mountain America.
I'm sick and tired of businesses helping telephone companies try ti force consumers to use phones, fax machines, wire services - anything but e-mail. I posted a complaint about another financial institution last year. Adding insult to injury is the telephone industry orchestrating the disappearance of pay phones.
The phone company "connection" to financial institutions reared its head long ago when I opened a reward checking account with Bank First in Macon, Mississippi, the deal being that in order to get higher interest on your account, you had to have home phone and Internet. I blogged about the stunt they pulled (third paragraph) when I cancelled my home phone and Internet.
Time for politicians who sell out to telephone industry lobbyists to clean up their act.
1/5/2018 update: SUCH A PLEASURE to expose all of these jerks on Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter. If Americans are DUMB enough to tolerate efforts to force 'em to pay big bucks to communicate, so be it. I'm not about to.
1/5/2018 update: SUCH A PLEASURE to expose all of these jerks on Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter. If Americans are DUMB enough to tolerate efforts to force 'em to pay big bucks to communicate, so be it. I'm not about to.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Ashley Landess paid over $100,000 a year just to say SC's legislature is corrupt? SHAME on the SC Policy Council.
According to the South Carolina Secretary of State, make that a whoppin' $104,681 for 2016. Perhaps President Landess got a raise for 2017. I e-mailed a request to the Secretary of State after I couldn't find Landess' salary on the Council's website.
Landess is a regular commentator on Columbia's Make the Point radio station. She's a longtime friend of station founder Keven Cohen, who started his operation several years ago after being fired from his longtime job at WVOC, supposedly because WVOC wanted to go in a "different direction."
Talk about a cozy relationship.
Cohen is quick to encourage listeners to donate to the SC Policy Council, though I've never heard him mention his friend's six-figure salary. From what I've heard, a better name for Cohen's radio station would be "Miss the Point."
The trick seems to be to conjure up as many ways as possible to break the earth-shattering news to South Carolinians that their state legislature (gasp) is corrupt. Nonetheless, Cohen and Landess have yet to breathe a word about South Carolina's probate racket. That glaring omission by both of these self-proclaimed government watchdogs - I've tweeted blog links to both businesses - gets stranger by the day.
Searching the Council's website, I noticed that the Council was founded in 1986, the same year attorneys in the legislature turned probate into a money-makin' racket designed to pad their own greedy pockets. Is the public expected to believe that a bonafide government watchdog organization, present from the get-go, has never seen fit to publicize what was going on?
Kinda makes ya wonder what guidelines Landess and Cohen follow when deciding where they want to focus the public's attention. Or, more to the point, what they want to focus the public's attention away from. Lately, the nuclear power scandal has taken front and center in their blabberings.
Landess' commentary last week was downright alarming.
She cooed ever so sweetly into Cohen's microphone that based on the Council's recent "research," legislators may now have no alternative but to allow power companies to continue charging customers for the boondoggle. In other words, the gang who got us into this mess may not now be able to get us out, an opinion at odds with late-breaking news regarding the proposed sale of South Carolina Electric and Gas.
Cohen's behavior has also been enough to raise eyebrows. For example, instead of interviewing a culprit like Nikki Setzler, who co-sponsored the bill that got the mess started, Cohen "grilled" a relatively unknown House member who wasn't even around when the nuclear power scandal quietly got underway. Notice in the news article linked to above that Nikki Setzler has nothing but praise for the proposed sale of SCE&G, which would leave rate-payers badly ripped off.
At this point, nobody can be blamed for wondering exactly who bankrolls the South Carolina Policy Council, or, to make the point even clearer, who's interests Cohen and Landess are looking out for. But alas. In that regard, the Council's professed dedication to "transparency" has again faltered.
I BELIEVE Landess when she declares that keeping the South Carolina Policy Council's donors anonymous is designed to protect them from reprisal.
Now that I'm more familiar with how the Council operates, I better understand why, when I first e-mailed the Council (in February of 2016) about South Carolina's probate racket, their response was "Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to pursue a topic like that." Right. When "resources" are spent on six-figure salaries, ya gotta cut somewhere.
Methinks Cohen and Landess protesteth too much. Actions speak louder than words.
Update 1/18/2018 - Cohen is now running Dominion Energy ads (for which he's paid) and featuring fast talking Dominion big shots as guests. How long are South Carolinians gonna put up with being ripped off by self-serving jerks in the legislature?
Update 1/5/18 - Truly a pleasure to send a link to this post to all SC legislators and the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.
Landess is a regular commentator on Columbia's Make the Point radio station. She's a longtime friend of station founder Keven Cohen, who started his operation several years ago after being fired from his longtime job at WVOC, supposedly because WVOC wanted to go in a "different direction."
Talk about a cozy relationship.
Cohen is quick to encourage listeners to donate to the SC Policy Council, though I've never heard him mention his friend's six-figure salary. From what I've heard, a better name for Cohen's radio station would be "Miss the Point."
The trick seems to be to conjure up as many ways as possible to break the earth-shattering news to South Carolinians that their state legislature (gasp) is corrupt. Nonetheless, Cohen and Landess have yet to breathe a word about South Carolina's probate racket. That glaring omission by both of these self-proclaimed government watchdogs - I've tweeted blog links to both businesses - gets stranger by the day.
Searching the Council's website, I noticed that the Council was founded in 1986, the same year attorneys in the legislature turned probate into a money-makin' racket designed to pad their own greedy pockets. Is the public expected to believe that a bonafide government watchdog organization, present from the get-go, has never seen fit to publicize what was going on?
Kinda makes ya wonder what guidelines Landess and Cohen follow when deciding where they want to focus the public's attention. Or, more to the point, what they want to focus the public's attention away from. Lately, the nuclear power scandal has taken front and center in their blabberings.
Landess' commentary last week was downright alarming.
She cooed ever so sweetly into Cohen's microphone that based on the Council's recent "research," legislators may now have no alternative but to allow power companies to continue charging customers for the boondoggle. In other words, the gang who got us into this mess may not now be able to get us out, an opinion at odds with late-breaking news regarding the proposed sale of South Carolina Electric and Gas.
Cohen's behavior has also been enough to raise eyebrows. For example, instead of interviewing a culprit like Nikki Setzler, who co-sponsored the bill that got the mess started, Cohen "grilled" a relatively unknown House member who wasn't even around when the nuclear power scandal quietly got underway. Notice in the news article linked to above that Nikki Setzler has nothing but praise for the proposed sale of SCE&G, which would leave rate-payers badly ripped off.
At this point, nobody can be blamed for wondering exactly who bankrolls the South Carolina Policy Council, or, to make the point even clearer, who's interests Cohen and Landess are looking out for. But alas. In that regard, the Council's professed dedication to "transparency" has again faltered.
I BELIEVE Landess when she declares that keeping the South Carolina Policy Council's donors anonymous is designed to protect them from reprisal.
Now that I'm more familiar with how the Council operates, I better understand why, when I first e-mailed the Council (in February of 2016) about South Carolina's probate racket, their response was "Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to pursue a topic like that." Right. When "resources" are spent on six-figure salaries, ya gotta cut somewhere.
Methinks Cohen and Landess protesteth too much. Actions speak louder than words.
Update 1/18/2018 - Cohen is now running Dominion Energy ads (for which he's paid) and featuring fast talking Dominion big shots as guests. How long are South Carolinians gonna put up with being ripped off by self-serving jerks in the legislature?
Update 1/5/18 - Truly a pleasure to send a link to this post to all SC legislators and the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.
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